Portville is a town in Cattaraugus County southeast of Olean and adjoining the New York – Pennyslvania State Line. Portville was a station on the Buffalo Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Pennsylvania Railroad station was located between Depot Street and the tracks just north of Temple Street.
The Western New York and Pennsylvania Traction Company went through the village, though I don’t know exactly where it stopped. Postcards show the tracks down Main Street but the timetables just say “Portville” without specifying where.
The Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad had a station in the hamlet of White House, just south of the village of Portville. There was a stop named “Portville” on the PS&N, but I can’t find any information about them actually having a station in town.
History
The first railroad through Portville was the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway, formerly the Buffalo and Washington Railway, who built their line through Portville in 1872. The line was operated by the BNY&P (1872 – 1887), the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad (1887 – 1895), the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway (1895 – 1900), the Pennsylvania Railroad (1900 – 1968), the Penn Central Railroad (1968 – 1976), Conrail (1976 – 1999) and the Norfolk Southern Railroad (1999 – 2007). In 2007 the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad, a regional railroad, leased and began operating the line between Driftwood, PA and Machias, NY.
The Allegheny Central Railroad, a predecessor of the Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad, built its line through Portville in 1882.
Clippings
Station Photographs
Other Photographs
Maps
Timetables
